Interest in the development of inhibitors of dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) has centred on the hypothesis that inhibition of this enzyme may provide significant clinical improvements in patients suffering from cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension or chronic heart failure. The rationale for the use of DBH inhibitors is based on their capacity to inhibit the biosynthesis of noradrenaline, which is achieved via enzymatic hydroxylation of dopamine. Activation of neurohumoral systems, chiefly the sympathetic nervous system, is the principal clinical manifestation of congestive heart failure (Parmley, W. W., Clinical Cardiology, 18: 440-445, 1995). Congestive heart failure patients have elevated concentrations of plasma noradrenaline (Levine, T. B. et al., Am. J. Cardiol., 49:1659-1666, 1982), increased central sympathetic outflow (Leimbach, W. N. et al., Circulation, 73: 913-919, 1986) and augmented cardiorenal noradrenaline spillover (Hasking, G. J. et al., Circulation, 73:615-621, 1966). Prolonged and excessive exposure of the myocardium to noradrenaline may lead to down-regulation of cardiac β1-adrenoceptors, remodelling of the left ventricle, arrhythmias and necrosis, all of which can diminish the functional integrity of the heart. Congestive heart failure patients who have high plasma concentrations of noradrenaline also have the most unfavourable long-term prognosis (Cohn, J. N. et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 311:819-823, 1984). Of greater significance is the observation that plasma noradrenaline concentrations are already elevated in asymptomatic patients with no overt heart failure and can predict ensuing mortality and morbidity (Benedict, C. R. et al., Circulation, 94:690-697, 1996). An activated sympathetic drive is not therefore merely a clinical marker of congestive heart failure, but may contribute to progressive worsening of the disease.
Potent dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitors having high potency and significantly reduced brain access are disclosed in WO 2008/136695. WO 2008/136695 describes compounds of formula I:
where R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and signify hydrogens, halogens, alkyl, nitro, amino, alkylcarbonylamino, alkylamino or dialkylamino group; R4 signifies—alkylaryl or—alkylheteroaryl; X signifies CH2, oxygen atom or sulphur atom; n is 2 or 3; including the individual (R)- and (S)-enantiomers or mixtures of enantiomers thereof; and including pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof, wherein the term alkyl means hydrocarbon chains, straight or branched, containing from one to six carbon atoms, optionally substituted by aryl, alkoxy, halogen, alkoxycarbonyl or hydroxycarbonyl groups; the term aryl means a phenyl or naphthyl group, optionally substituted by alkyl, alkyloxy, halogen or nitro group; the term halogen means fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine; the term heteroaryl means heteroaromatic group. In particular, WO 2008/136695 describes 1-[(3R)-6,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-3-yl]-1,3-dihydro-5-[2-[(phenylmethyl)amino]ethyl]-2H-Imidazole-2-thione. Processes for the preparation of compounds of formula I, and in particular 1-[(3R)-6,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-3-yl]-1,3-dihydro-5-[2-[(phenylmethyl)amino]ethyl]-2H-Imidazole-2-thione, are described in WO 2008/136695 and are incorporated by reference herein.
It is known that polymorphic forms of the same drug may have substantially different pharmaceutically important properties such as dissolution characteristics and bioavailability as well as stability of the drug. Furthermore, different forms may have different particle size, hardness and glass transition temperature. Thus, one form may provide significant advantages over other forms of the same drug in solid dosage form manufacture processes, such as accurate measurement of the active ingredients, easier filtration, or improved stability during granulation or storage. Furthermore, a particular process suitable for one form may also provide drug manufacturers several advantages such as economically or environmentally suitable solvents or processes, or higher purity or yield of the desired product.